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Biscuits, Bread, Quick Jams

Lavender and Lemon Scones with Raspberry Jam

Homemade lavender and lemon scones with raspberry jam on your table in about 30 minutes, still warm from your oven. Oh yes!

This scone recipe is a gem. My husband is from Ireland, where, for a Texan, regardless of the time of year, it is always somewhere between chilly and downright cold. But the tea is hot and strong and the pastries grand. I don’t think I will ever make a loaf of soda bread as well as my mother-in-law, Mae. So, I’ve concentrated on making a great scone. There is one shop in Collooney in County Sligo that has the best scones I’ve ever had. I’ve been trying for years to get the crumbly lightness, rise and flavor of those scones when I make mine. With this recipe I think I’m almost there – even the dough is so good it is hard not to sample a bite or three as you’re rolling it out.

Today I timed myself to make sure I could actually make and serve lavender and lemon scones with freshly made raspberry jam in around 30 minutes. And I did. So, on your marks, get set, cook!

Lavender & Lemon Scones with Raspberry Jam

Turn your oven on at 350F degrees.

Raspberry Jam

Quick, simple & delicious

Ingredients

1c fresh raspberries

1c white granulated sugar

1t lemon zest (optional)

Utensil

A wide shallow ovenproof pan that will hold the amount of raspberries you use.

20150729 Rasberries in sugar jam_MG_1034.CR2

Mix equal parts fresh raspberries (1 cup) and white granulated sugar (1 cup) and the lemon zest in a wide shallow dish. Put the berry mix in the 350F oven for about 20 minutes. You want the mix very hot but not boiling. I set a timer so I don’t forget to check the jam after 10 minutes just to make sure it isn’t boiling. After 20 min, pour into a bowl and stir to make sure the sugar has melted. Note: This jam is runny – somewhat like a syrup.

Lavender & Lemon Scones

While you are cooking the raspberries, start on the scones. As the jam comes out of the oven, your scones will be ready to go in. This recipe makes 12 small scones.

Ingredients

2c white, all purpose flour

1T baking powder

¼ c granulated white sugar

2T lemon zest, approx. 2 medium-sized lemons

pinch of salt

4T cold butter, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 ½ tsp dried lavender or 2 tsp of fresh lavender

3/4c milk, cold

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp warm water to brush the top of the scones

Heat oven to 425 F

Utensils

1 medium to large bowl, 1 fine sieve, a 1c measuring cup, 1T measuring spoon, 1/4c measuring cup, 1 t measuring spoon, 1 liquid measuring cup, small bowl to mix the glaze, pastry creamer or two knives to mix the butter into the flour, a 2” cookie cutter, a rolling pin (optional), and a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into the large bowl. Add the lemon zest and gently stir the lavender in. Add the butter pieces and use the pastry creamer or knives to cut the butter into the flour. You can also use the tips of your fingers and mash the flour into the butter. If you use your fingers, work quickly because you don’t want the heat from your hands to melt the butter. If you have a food processor, you can use it for this step but be careful to only pulse the motor 3 to 4 times. The flour/butter mix should resemble coarse meal when done.

Make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and pour in the milk all at once. Lightly hand-mix the flour and milk by stiffening five fingers in the mixture, then turning the bowl and moving your fingers in a spiral from the center of the bowl out. In a few seconds you should have the dough loosely gathered into a ball. Again, if you are using a food processor, only pulse it 3 to 4 times. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work area. Scrape the dough off your fingers and gather the dough into a ball.

The whole purpose of working with the dough as little as possible is to keep the scones light and crumbly.

Pat or roll the dough out to a 1” thickness. Cut the dough into 2” rounds with your cookie cutter. Don’t forget to dip the cookie cutter in flour so the dough doesn’t stick to it. Be careful to go straight down and up with the cutter without twisting. This will help your scones to rise.

Biscuit Dough

Place the cut-out scones on the cookie sheet. Beat the egg with 2 tsp of warm water or milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg glaze. Bake in the hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Whew! That’s all there is to it.

Sometimes I like to dip the top of the glazed scones in granulated sugar just before baking. It adds a lovely crunch.

Additional ideas for flavorings:

  • ½ heaping cup of blueberries, ½ teaspoon almond essence, 2T lemon or lime zest
  • 2T finely grated orange rind. I’ll also add 1T – 2T citrus peel
  • 4T raisins
  • 3T dried cherries
  • 1 ½ t cinnamon added to the flour before you mix in the butter. Mix ½ t of cinnamon into ¼ c of sugar to glaze the top.
  • 3T finely chopped crystallized ginger.

Today I used the same recipe and substituted ½ heaping cup of blueberries for the lavender, lime for the lemon and buttermilk for the milk. When you do this, treat the blueberries gently. If they get smashed, your scones will have a grayish tint.

Desserts, Gluten Free

North African Orange Cake

North African Orange Cake

I needed to make a quick gluten-free cake to take to dinner at a friend’s house. Wanting to try something a little different and a bit exotic, I looked back through my old recipe file, a large shopping bag over 20 years old. I found an easy recipe for an Orange Cake that used a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs. It is sweet but not cloyingly so. Orange, cinnamon and cloves in the syrup make a winter kitchen smell warm and cozy. Keeping my fingers crossed I substituted oatmeal for the breadcrumbs. Because the citrus syrup you pour over the cake is so sweet and orangey, I knew I could not go too wrong.

There are several great things about this recipe: It only takes a few minutes to make it, you don’t need to preheat the oven, you can make it a day or two ahead and it will stay good for several more days, it is gluten free, and the syrup is so good I use it in many other recipes: just yesterday I made a trifle with the orange syrup. Delicious!

Try this easy North African Orange Cake – gluten free

This cake takes only a few minutes to put together and can be made a day or two ahead. You don’t even have to preheat the oven.

 Ingredients

2 oz      chopped rolled oats, or another gluten free flour

7 oz      granulated sugar, minus 2 T

3.5 oz   ground almonds ( 2T are used to prepare the pan)

1½ tsp  baking powder

7oz       canola oil or any non-flavored oil

4           large eggs

zest of 1 orange

zest of 1½ lemons

 Citrus syrup

1           orange, juiced

1           lemon, juiced

3 oz      granulated sugar

2 T       Grand Marnier or other orange liquor

2           whole cloves

1           cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp cinnamon powder)

 Utensils

Measuring cup, scale, measuring spoons, 2 medium bowls, small saucepan, micro planer, 8 inch cake pan and parchment paper.

Method

Don’t preheat the oven.

Line an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper, grease it with a shot of cooking spray or butter, then use 2 T ground almonds to coat the parchment paper.

Mix the chopped rolled oats with the granulated sugar, ground almonds, baking powder, and orange and lemon zests. Whisk the eggs into the oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well. Mix gently till combined well but don’t over-beat.

Pour the mixture into the pan and place in the middle rack of your oven. Turn the heat to 350F. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 min or until it is golden brown and a skewer piercing the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, combine the citrus syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before taking the cake out of the pan. Run a knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it in the pan, then turn the pan upside down on a plate, and tap the bottom of the pan. It should easily fall out. Remove the parchment paper. While the cake is still warm, take a skewer and poke approximately 10 holes in the cake. Spoon the syrup all over the cake.

Enjoy!